Big week for the beautiful city of Vancouver. On Wednesday night, Daniel and Henrik, the Sedin twins had their numbers retired prior to a tilt against the Blackhawks. Tonight though, as our buddy, our pal, Scott Stanford has been telling us for weeks on WWE programming, Smackdown took place in the Rogers Arena. This was the first Canadian televised event since Summerslam weekend. After close to 6 months, we were overdue. And with a SmackDown main event of The Miz & Morrison versus Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan, this crowd could be in for a treat. This is the Smackdown Synopsis for 2/14/20.
The 14,382 fans in attendance and those of us watching at home were promised 2 hrs of action thrills and excitement. First off, we were informed that later on, we would be heading to Florida via satellite to Hulk Hogan’s residence for a very special announcement. Also on the agenda for tonight, a peek at the Otis-Mandy Rose first date. Would this proverbial Beauty and the Beast story have a happy ending or, turn into a Kafkaesque flop.
But wait, there is more to come. The main event would feature the newly re-united Miz and Morrison. They would square off vs Roman Reigns and a mystery partner. The speculation and suspense is palpable from the get-go.
What would February 14th be without a Moment of Bliss? That is exactly how the show officially got underway. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross were both in fine form and spirits. Their guest is Carmela. Keep in mind that 7 days ago, Mella proved she was money by winning a four-way contest for the right to challenge the anti role model Bayley for the Smackdown Women s Championship.
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Carmela harkened back to the days when she and Bayley were actually friends. Albeit, not besties. She said everything changed when Sasha Banks returned. She made Bayley a totally different person.
Oh my goodness, Bayley crashes the party! She points out that she always pitied Carmela and that is the reason why she befriended and mentored her since NXT days. The champion adds that she is untouchable.
Why wait for Spring, do it now. Carmela challenges Bayley to head to the ring without delay to defend her championship. The perfect segue for our first commercial break.
The match begins with Bayley taking the early advantage. She administers an impressive shoulder tackle on the game contender. Carmela turns things around decisively and scores a pair of all too close two counts. One following a perfect dropkick and the other after Bayley missed on a cross-body block.
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Bayley is noticeably off her game and exits the ring. Carmela takes full advantage with a suicide dive and a successful cross-body block. We head to commercial break number two with the challenger in control. But Bayley enjoying the champion’s advantage (i.e. you must be pinned or submit in the ring)
The momentum has shifted as we resume the match. Carmela has been thrown onto the announce table. But she would bounce back and nearly put Bayley away on several occasions. Those 2 counts will get you every time. Three to be precise not to mention Bayley breaking the dreaded Code of Silence submission hold.
Immediately after that though, Carmela was rolled over. Bayley draped her leg over the ropes and got the three count. Charles Robinson missed the call which resulted in a tainted victory for Bayley.
An irate Naomi entered the fray and both she and Carmela laid out the champion with a pair of thunderous kicks.
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We are then shown a genuinely touching feature on Lacey Evans. She will be interviewed live in seven days when Smackdown will be in Phoenix. Next up, Otis continues to prepare for his date. Why do I see a disaster looking for a place to happen.
Next up is the Celtic Warrior. Looking ripped yet pale, Sheamus gets a great reaction from the Vancouver crowd. Commercial time again but when we get back, we will have a handicap match. Shorty G and Apollo Crews hope to avenge their humiliation of last week.
The tag team started out like a well-oiled machine and took an early but brief advantage. Notwithstanding the classic quick tag strategy, Sheamus would seize control. But his opponents had not spoken their last word. The Celtic Warrior was thrown outside the ring and was on the receiving end of an Apollo Crews moonsault.
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It didn’t take long for the multi-time champion to regroup. He gave heed to the crowd’s request for a brogue kick and would then emerge victorious. Interesting to see the crowd give Sheamus a reaction normally reserved for a bona fide face.
Backstage, Carmela is being interviewed and demands a rematch against Bayley. We then cut away to Mandy Rose who is waiting patiently at the table for her date. I do hope that when the time comes that she will at least order the Pacific Salmon
As we ease into a commercial break, we see the Hulkster being prepped in his Florida home.
Before heading down to the Sunshine State, Super ShowDown is hyped and we’re shown a collage of Goldberg’s career highlights.
Hulk Hogan is then introduced to a very tepid reception. He announces that the NWO will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and makes all the necessary For Life references that one would expect, brother. Hogan was then asked if he thought Goldberg could beat the Fiend and he gave the predictable, I’ve fought Goldberg at my peak and lost to him answer.
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Then, THE PLAY OF THE DAY. Static on the screen like back in those 1996 NWO segments. The music hits and we go to the Firefly Funhouse. Bray Wyatt masterfully impersonates Hogan’s gestures. He then offers Huskus the pig a piece of chocolate and says, I hope its not TOO sweet.
Hogan notwithstanding being mocked and berated keeps his cool and wishes the fiend luck against Goldberg. Wyatt replies he doesn’t need any luck and tells Hogan that they will see each other in Orlando.
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We head into a commercial break and are told about Simone Johnson, The Rock s daughter enrolling in the Performance Center and possibly becoming the company’s first fourth-generation superstar.
Sami Zayn is in the ring with Cesaro and promises to perform a protest concert. All in the grand tradition of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Billy Bragg. Zayn is holding a ukelele and Cesaro has a cowbell. After a comedic segment of lame warm-ups, Elias emerged on the scene and received the pop of the night. He said he was going to give a counter-protest concert of his own.
The crowd TOTALLY embarked on this segment drowning out Zayn with chants of Go Walk With Elias and We Want Cowbells. Playing along with the crowd, Cesaro made a point of tossing the cowbell out of the ring. Zayn followed suit by riling up the sold-out crowd by saying that retiring the Sedin twin’s numbers was a joke.
After Cesaro and Zayn double-teamed Elias, Braun Strowman emerged to make the save. He took to chasing Sami around the outside of the ring only to be struck by one of Sami’s security guards. This prompted Braun to throw the guard into the ring only to then hurl him out like a ragdoll into the arms of his peers.
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We catch up with Naomi backstage. Naomi also challenges Bayley to a title match saying that she has never lost to her. We then see Mandy Rose STILL waiting for her potential paramour to appear on the scene.
After the next commercial break, we’re fed more surprises. John Cena will appear on the February 28th Smackdown broadcast from Boston. Naomi vs Carmela will square off next week with the winner facing Bayley at Super ShowDown. As if that was not enough, scheduled to appear live from Phoenix next week, none other than intensity personified, Goldberg.
Great news, or so we hope. Otis finally shows up at the restaurant with a nice bouquet of roses. Seconds before Otis would arrive, Dolph Ziggler sat himself down with Mandy. Otis entered the dining area, saw Zigs sitting with Mandy. He tossed his roses to the ground and left a broken-hearted man. All that was missing from back in the day was JR referring to Ziggler as an opportunistic SOB and Mandy as a good for nothing Jezebel. Lesson for the day – never fail to be punctual.
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After the break, our tag team main event. Miz and Morrison vs Roman Reigns and a mystery partner. Miz and Morrison enter the ring and mock the Usos for not being present.
Roman appears on the ramp. We wait and see who his mystery partner will be. Daniel Bryan appears and the announce team points out the sometimes rocky past these two competitors share but imply that they will most likely unite to face their opposition.
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Reigns and Morrison kick things off and work very well together. Daniel Bryan is tagged in quickly, hits the Shaman of Sexy with a missile dropkick. The YES movement are vocal in Vancouver. The camera moves to a part of the crowd. It zooms in on King Corbin seated in a pristine location showing his ticket. I sense trouble later on.
After what would be the last commercial break, Daniel Bryan blocked a superplex from the Miz, John Morrison was tagged in and hit a Shining Wizard. But he could only muster a two count. Morrison then headed to the top rope but took an eternity to execute his move and after leaping fruitlessly only to hit the canvas, Roman Reigns was tagged in. After two kicks to the face by Morrison and a pair of two counts, the Miz would be tagged in and administered the Skull Crushing NEAR finale to Reigns. Yup, another count of two.
Roman rebounds with a Superman punch and a spear. This match is over. Roman though would be laid out by King Corbin, clubbing him in the back of the head with his royal scepter. We go off the air clamoring for the cage match at Super ShowDown which will be a one on one no chicanery affair. Or so we hope.
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A great show from the west coast gem of Vancouver. Fast-paced, well performed and executed. Not forgetting the superb audience participation that televised shows North of the Border is known for.
